Who hung the monkey? The monkey-hanging legend is the most famous story connected with Hartlepool. During the Napoleonic Wars a French ship was wrecked off the Hartlepool coast.During the Napoleonic Wars there was a fear of a French invasion of Britain and much public concern about the possibility of French infiltrators and spies. The fishermen of Hartlepool fearing an invasion kept a close watch on the French vessel as it struggled against the storm but when the vessel was severely battered and sunk they turned their attention to the wreckage washed ashore. Among the wreckage lay one wet and sorrowful looking survivor, the ship’s pet monkey dressed to amuse in a military style uniform. The fishermen apparently questioned the monkey and held a beach-based trial. Unfamiliar with what a Frenchman looked like they came to the conclusion that this monkey was a French spy and should be sentenced to death. The unfortunate creature was to die by hanging, with the mast of a fishing boat (a coble) providing a convenient gallows.
Posted 3 months ago with 14 notes
Tagged with #Hartlepool#my town...#posts#black and white#b&w#monkey#legend
  1. hartlepoolmonkey reblogged this from beyondjadee
  2. acuretogrowingolder reblogged this from adamshikari
  3. lloyduss reblogged this from ultravi0lent and added:
    FUCK THE POLICE, FUCK MONKEYS, FUCK THE FRENCH.
  4. ultravi0lent reblogged this from adamshikari and added:
    WELCOME TO FUCKING HARTLEPOOL
  5. adamshikari reblogged this from beyondjadee and added:
    ISN’T HARTLEPOOL GREAT
  6. arm0ury said: omfg this is why im proud to say i wasnt born here
  7. beyondjadee posted this